OPENING
We are gathered here today in friendship and happiness to witness BRIDE and GROOM pledge their love in a setting that can never be duplicated in the entire world.
The reality is… that everyone’s life is limited to only a certain amount of time.
As Robert G. Ingersoll said, “The time to be happy is now. The place to be happy is here.”
Take the time to make your partner feel special. Never take each other for granted.
Take the time to listen and to share.
Give each other the benefit of the doubt because communication will be different at times and misunderstandings are inevitable.
It takes time, effort, courage, and commitment to make a successful marriage.
Take the time to negotiate, to talk about your fears, failures, and disappointments.
Talk about each other’s expectations, hopes, and dreams.
Be flexible and willing to adapt well to changes and new circumstances.
Above all, take the time to tell each other what you want.
Take the risk of being vulnerable with each other.
BRIDE and GROOM, take each other by the hand and exchange your vows.
BRIDE please go first.
VOWS
BRIDE Vows: personally written
GROOM Vows: personally written
RING VOWS
GROOM, please take the ring you have selected for BRIDE, place it upon her finger and repeat these words:
As your husband and your friend –
I promise that I will stand by you –
In sickness and in health –
For better and for worse –
For richer and for poorer –
For as long as we both shall live –
Do you, GROOM take BRIDE to be your wife and pledge to her your respect and faithful love from this day forward?
BRIDE, please take the ring you have selected for GROOM, place it upon his finger and repeat these words:
As your wife and your friend –
I promise that I will stand by you –
In sickness and in health –
For better and for worse –
For richer and for poorer –
For as long as we both shall live –
Do you BRIDE, take GROOM, to be your husband and pledge to him your respect and faithful love from this day forward?
WINE CEREMONY
In this glass are the fruits of God, Mankind and Mother Earth.
The years of our lives are like a cup of wine that is poured out for the sake of labor, honor and love.
Many days you will sit at the same table and eat and drink together.
Many are the experiences you will share.
As with a glass of wine, one of you may find it sweet, the other perhaps dry or somehow different.
Let the drink you share today serve as a reminder that although you may perceive things very differently, being right is never more important than being happy.
With this space that you give each other, always putting your commitment to love and honor one another first, your lives together will grow deeper, richer and greatly satisfying, like a rare and fine wine.
You may now drink from this fountain of love.
PRONOUNCEMENT
You will be reminded each day of your commitment to this marriage with the wearing of your wedding ring.
BRIDE and GROOM, you have formalized in our presence the existence of the bond of love between you – vowing to be loyal and loving toward one another.
In expressing your affirmations, you have pronounced yourself husband and wife.
I now pronounce BRIDE and GROOM to be husband and wife.
You may now seal your vows with a kiss.
